Research reveals cycle tourism is worth £345 million to Scotland

Kieran Howells

Research by Sustrans Scotland has revealed that the sector was valued at £345 million to the Scottish economy in 2015.

The findings, released as part of a new Leisure Cycling Tourism Guide by Sustrans Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, are based on the usage estimates of the National Cycle Network.

More than 152,000 tourist visits to Scotland each year are by holidaymakers who spend a day or more cycling during their stay. Of the 7,104 accommodation listings on the Visit Scotland website, fewer than one in seven are listed as being cycle friendly.

To help encourage more businesses to accommodate cyclists, Sustrans Scotland and Scottish Enterprise have collaborated with the Cycle Tourism Forum to create a Leisure Cycling Tourism Guide.

The guide offers advice and guidance to tourism providers on how they can make their businesses more accommodating for cyclists. Sustrans Scotland national director John Lauder said: “In order to realise the full potential of cycling opportunities in Scotland, it is vital for businesses to understand the needs of leisure cyclists.